Feature Filter: Robinson Rivera | Colombia

More about Robinson and the ACC association:

Robinson Rivera is an energetic and driven producer, who has been growing coffee for 18 years. And for the last 6 years he has also been a leader of the ACC growers’ association. Robinson grew up in a disadvantaged background and worked very hard since he was child, often as a picker on various coffee farms. Overtime, he saved up enough to be able to buy his own farm to grown and process great quality coffee.

Furthermore, Robinson wanted to offer opportunities and see other growers in his area succeed and gain great value for their coffee. Together with his brother Dilver and another grower friend Alex they have started the ACC grower's association in order to be able to improve quality, promote the region’s coffees and access the speciality market where they can obtain the best value for it. Recently, Robinson also achieved his Q grader license in order to work as a qualified supper (coffee taster) at the association’s lab.

This lot comes from Robinson’s farm - El Silencio, situated at 1700-1850 masl with 6 hectares of coffee planted with the Castillo variety. This natural process undergoes fermentation in cherry for 48 hours in sealed tanks before then being dried in a parabolic drier and finished in a mechanical silo at below 40 degrees.

More about ACC - Asociación de Caficultores del Centro de Cauca por la Paz

The ACC coop (Asociación de Caficultores del Centro de Cauca por la Paz) is a non-profit organisation that was created in 2016 in Piendamó, Cauca. The purpose of the association has always been improving the coffee quality, going all the way from the crop until the commercialization of the coffee, where improving these aspects will have a social impact on the region. Improving the wellbeing of the peasant families, taking care of the environment, and trying to find peace in our territory. 

ACC has 77 associates with an average of 1.5 hectares of land in altitude ranging between 1,700 and 2,100 masl. Every member that has joined the group is a believer of the power of associations, where the main goal is to fight against poverty and social conflicts in the region. The association helps members with commercial strategies and crop related technology. The association can purchase coffees in dried parchments, or also as cherry to be processed at a centralised processing station managed by Robinson and two others. Every member has the chance to decide how to process their coffee with the option of innovative fermentations similar to this lot. Robinson, Dilver, Alex and other from the association are well trained coppers (coffee tasters) and have been learning a great deal about various different styles of processing and working on developing strong protocols to achieve consistency.

The association has a rented storage facility in Piendamó, right beside the coffee purchase center. In this facility there is a coffee laboratory that has all the equipment needed for coffee selection and cupping - done by a Q-Grader. They are currently looking at building their own facility for this which they can own for the long term.